As the fighting in the Jianghuai area subsided and entered a period of calm, news of the war on the northern front also came to Jiangning one after another.

In the winter of October last year, the prince of Yan, Ye Ji Luorong, commanded 100,000 cavalry from the northwest of Qin County to the south, and in early November, he fought fiercely with Cao's military horses in Guyuan in the north of Qingyang, and Cao's army was defeated and retreated to Qingyang. The Yan army lightly advanced eastward, and when besieging Qingyang, it sent the army east into Ningzhou, and it happened that Cao Yiqu personally led the main force of the Western Qin army to come to the aid, and fought fiercely in Daguyuan on the periphery of Ningzhou, and defeated more than 10,000 cavalry of the Yan army, and won a great victory in Daguyuan, and Ye Ji Luorong was forced to lead his troops to withdraw from Qingyang to the north and return.

The Caoyan controversy ended with the setback of Beiyan for the first time, and the news of the siege of Qingyang reached Jiangning on January 28.

After the Cao clan invaded Liangchuan, Jiang Ning's attitude towards the Cao clan wavered.

In the early years, Zuo Chengmu put forward the proposal of "joining Cao to resist the captives", but there were many opponents of this proposal, after the Cao family invaded Liangchuan, it was also a "big thief" for Jiang Ning, and he could not send troops to suppress it.

It wasn't until after the military division of the luxury family invaded Jiangning that many people recognized the reality. If it weren't for the fact that after the autumn of last year, Beiyan's soldiers and horses focused on the western front to invade Guanshan, and Huaidong and Huaixi would not have survived last winter.

Compared with the greater righteousness, the practical needs and interests are the things that those in power have to consider, and after the restoration of the capital on the Jiangning side, they also paid special attention to the war in Guanshan.

If Guan Shaanxi falls, it will be difficult for Liang Chengyi to defend alone in Hezhong Mansion; On the one hand, Yan Yu can go out of Wuguan to fight the flank of Nanyang, on the other hand, he can enter Hanzhong in the south, seize the upper reaches of the Han River, threaten Xiangfan to the east, and force Changle bandit Luo Xiancheng to succumb to the hooves - if the Cao family dies and Guan Shaanxi falls, Jiangning will also fall into great passivity strategically, and the people of Qingyang will be encircled, and the people of Jiangning will also breathe a sigh of relief.

"Guan Shaanxi is in great trouble!" Gao Zongting was in the White Tiger Hall of the Privy Council, looking at the map hanging on the wall and sighing.

The Privy Council was tied with the six ministries, and after the Imperial Horse Supervisor of the Inner Chamberlain, who was in charge of the Imperial City Guard, was abolished, the Imperial Horse Supervisor Office near the Jinyang Gate of the Imperial City was vacated and let the Privy Council occupy. The guards and horses of the imperial city were also mainly stationed in the urn city of Jinyangmen, making the Privy Council and Jinyangmen the core of Jiangning City.

The news of Qingyang's siege made others breathe a sigh of relief, and the people in Huaidong still felt great pressure.

Qingyang is subordinate to the original border town, located between Shaanxi and Gansu in the later generations, the West River and the Rou Canal meet in the territory, the large plateau is vertical and horizontal, it is suitable to plant wheat and millet, after the destruction of Guanshaan, the Qingyang Mansion called the granary of Longdong is particularly important; The three generations of the Cao family were based on Guyuan, so they had the strength to divide Guanxi and invade the two rivers.

Qingyang Mansion is as important to the Cao family as the five counties of Chongzhou are to Huaidong.

If the five counties of Chongzhou were to be invaded by foreign enemies and fought fiercely repeatedly, the enemy would be forced to retreat, and the Huaidong people would certainly not have the joy of winning a great victory after the war...... Looking at the ruins on the periphery of Jiangning, you can know the cruelty of the war; Although the Cao family forced the Yan soldiers to retreat and relieved the siege of Qingyang, they may have actually injured the roots.

"The Cao family does not have the determination and strength to stop the enemy from Qingyang," Song Fu said, "The defeat of Daguyuan is a wedge for the Yan soldiers to withdraw from the siege, but as far as the Yan soldiers are concerned, there should be no intention to capture Qingyang once......"

Lin Tie put the charcoal behind his ear, looked up at the wall chart, marked several red crosses on the line of Qingyang, Ningzhou, and Weizhou in the west of Guanxi, and marked the main road from Qingyang and Yulin to the hinterland of Guanshan with a color pen, and said: "Lord Yan's mind is similar to the strategy of seeking swallow thistle back then." The Yan army is strong again, and it is extremely difficult to storm Guyuan and Qingyang, the two male cities that have been operated by the Cao family for decades, and the periphery will be weakened by the war first, and the real killing moves will be left behind......"

The situation of the swallow thistle back then, Gao Zongting was the most clear. Yan Yu broke the border pass from Chongguan in eight years, destroyed the northern part of Henan, Yannan and northern Shandong, and completely destroyed the Caodao...... It was also because the northern front had been supported for four or five years that the situation in Jianghuai was better, and there was no Yan Bing who was destroyed after the fall of Yan Ji.

The Cao family has been running Guanshan for several years, and Qingyang, Ningzhou, and Guyuan have been trapped in war zones, and they may be able to draw grain from the hinterland of Guanshan to support the war on the western front and the northern front, but it is really difficult to say how long it can be supported - the Cao family has been separating the Guanshan and Liangchuan regions, and over the years, there have been constant wars and army expansion. At that time, there were 30,000 Cao family Guyuan elites, and today, the total strength has increased to 1230,000. Even if the Cao family made some gains from operating the hinterland of Guanshan, it would inevitably be exhausted to maintain such a huge military armament, and it was impossible to have too much savings.

This is also no way, the same is true of the luxury family, the poorer the fight, the more forced to maintain a larger military armament, after the luxury Wenzhuang retreated into Jiangzhou, the first step is to recruit the flow of difficult soldiers; If Huaidong hadn't been able to use the money village to raise funds, it would have been bankrupt long ago due to the huge military equipment and the constant war.

Lin Bin's means of operating Huaidong can be said to be unprecedented throughout the ages, and a large number of war resources have been obtained through sea trade.

However, even so, in order to maintain the ever-expanding armament, Huaidong had no financial reserves, and it also owed money a debt of 3 million taels of silver, accounting for 60 percent of Huaidong's annual armament expenditure last year.

At this time, the guards came in to report that Lin Xuwen had come over, and Lin Jian threw the charcoal pen on the case.

Lin Xuwen came over, looked at the map of Guanshan hanging on the wall, and said, "You are also staring at the battle in Qingyang?" ”

"Well," Lin Jian asked the guards to move Lin Xuwen to sit on the pier, and asked, "What's the discussion over there in the political hall?" ”

"Cheng Yu and Zhang Zuo all suggested 'joining Cao to resist the captives,'" Lin Xuwen said, "I want to send envoys into Guanzhong to confer the position of deputy privy envoy of Cao Yiqu and governor of Sichuan and Qin." ”

"It's not unexpected...... Gao Zongting said.

Chen Cheng, Zhang Yu and others strongly opposed it, and regarded the Cao family as a thief, but the situation has changed, so Jiangning has given Huaidong a "stealing residence", and there is no need for them to continue to screw with the Cao family.

Once it was officially recognized that the Cao family had divided Liangchuan and Guanshan, the Cao family would be able to reduce their garrison in Liangchuan and concentrate more troops, horses, and resources on the northern front to fight against Yanyu, and Liang Chengyi could also formally form an alliance with the Cao family in Hezhong Province to weaken mutual defense on the border and deal with the external ......

"This matter is not under the jurisdiction of the Privy Council, it is enough to take the lead in the political affairs hall." Lin Jian said.

"Yes, the Privy Council is not involved in this matter." Song Fu also said affirmatively.

Now Cao Ziang, Qin Chengzu, Lin Mengde and others have all entered the Privy Council with Lin Jian to control the central military and politics, but they are all responsible for a share of affairs, and it is Gao Zongting and Song Fu who usually stay by Lin Lian's side to consult on important matters.

As far as the current situation is concerned, "Lian Cao" is an inevitable move, but if it is not mixed in at this time, there will still be an excuse to overturn the resolution of the political affairs hall and "enter and suppress the Cao family" in the future -- this matter can be decided without convening everyone for discussion, and in addition to fighting each other in domestic and foreign affairs, there will be more war of words in the future.

"Cheng Yu and Zhang Zuo were afraid of opposition from the Privy Council, and I didn't think much of the support would be made here......," Lin Xuwen said.

"Yes......" Gao Zongting smiled.

Recognize the Cao family, the Cao family will also recognize Jiangning, and will send people into Jiangning, and then the Cao family will be a force that Cheng Yu and Zhang Zuo can use to suppress Huaidong, and they are naturally worried that the Huaidong people will oppose this matter.

Lin Jian smiled, stopped talking about it, and asked Lin Xuwen again: "The account department borrowed money from the money bank, has there been a conclusion from the political affairs hall?" ”

"That's pretty much it, but the details are still entangled, maybe it will drag on for a few days!" Lin Xuwen said, "But it can't be delayed for a few days, so even the official is sent out, and the longer it drags on, the pressure will be added to the political hall......"

"Then delay it for a few more days." Lin Lian said, asked Zhou Pu to prepare the carriage and horses, spent half a day in the Privy Council, watched the sun set in the west, and thought about going back to the house - Jianghuai has entered a calm period, Jiangning is more about finding a new balance between various forces, with Lin Xuwen and others supporting outside, Lin Lian is much more relaxed, and it is rare to leave more time to accompany his wife and concubine, and live a happy life from 9 to 5.

Lin Xuwen, Gao Zongting, Song Fu and others were not as relaxed as Lin Lian, so they could only smile and follow him.

Lin Xuwen is now in charge of the household department, and the actual responsibility is the heaviest. Lin Bin's plan is to divide the political power into six departments, and the plan is good, but to implement it, it must be done step by step.

Lin Xuwen still wants to find Lin Mengde at the moment, and he is still talking about the loan of the bank.

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Although the officials who urged the levies have been sent to various places, it will take time for the prefectures and counties to pay the autumn levies from last year.

At present, the only money that Jiang Ning can spend is the salt tax from Weiyang. The salt tax accumulated for one season, and it was only more than 500,000 taels of silver - the counties south of Jiangning, Huizhou, Chizhou and other places were difficult to return to their hometowns, and the yamen of the prefectures and counties needed to be re-established.

Last year's autumn tax itself was missing a large part of the nearly 20 counties on the periphery of Jiangning, and last year's summer tax and autumn tax in the area controlled by Huaidong had already been used up to Huaidong's soldiers and horses, and the summer tax would be officially incorporated into the household revenue and expenditure - Weiyang, Pingjiang, Danyang, Jiaxing and other prefectures were not affected by the war, and fortunately, these core essence areas were not dragged down by the war, and last year's autumn tax could still collect nearly three million taels. However, when this tax is collected, it is necessary to first pay the arrears of military funds to Huaixi, Chizhou, Jinghu, Xiangtan and other towns, and wait until the summer tax in the Huaidong region is incorporated and the center's investment in Huaixi is reduced--before Emperor Yongxing returns to Jiangning, Huaidong agrees that the local taxes in Huaixi will be supported by the Huaixi camp, but the center's military investment in Huaixi will inevitably be subtracted - but Jiangning's side will then have to bear the expenses of Huaidong's soldiers and horses.

With only more than 500,000 troops, it may take three to five years for Jiangning's finances to finally recover. However, in addition to military expenses and civil affairs expenditures, officials are also the bulk of the central finances - in Luzhou, nearly one million taels of silver were secretly moved to Chizhou and Huaixi, and only more than 200,000 taels of silver were transported to Huaidong perfunctorily, but after Zhang Chengzuoyu and others returned to Jiangning with the officials of the six ministries, the war eased slightly, but the emergency was faced with the crisis of financial collapse.

In the past, the main way for the central government to deal with the financial crisis was either to levy more or copy two or three large households; Huaidong currently provides a third way, which is to borrow a large amount of money from the bank in the name of the household department to cope with the current crisis, but the money from the bank can not be lent out so easily.